Adam Wolfbane and the Sorcerer's Secret
by Azzaza
Summary: Years after the Wizarding War, a little boy finds himself at Hogwarts - a boy with no magical powers. However, not only does he manage to get on the train, but he ends up Sorted with the other kids his age. All Adam wanted to do was talk to his friend - and instead, he finds himself in the middle of next big war Hogwarts is going to be involved in.
1. Chapter 1

**Adam Wolfsbane and the Sorcerer's Secret**  
><strong>Part 1: A Muggle Sorted at Hogwarts<strong>

Adam was doing his absolute best to stay calm. His breaths were shallow, his nostrils flaring with each one, as his eyes darted back and forth, trying to catch sight of everything in this place. People in robes. Floating candles. Owls, cats, toads.

Thankfully, half the group he was in looked just as nervous and panicked, as they watched one after the next go up to what actually appeared to be a talking hat and place it on their head — after which, the hat soon shouted some sort of gibberish word that got the rest of the people in the giant hall to either cheer or boo, depending on where they were sitting.

"Wolfsbane, Adam," the older woman who'd been reading names off a list called out.

Adam stayed exactly where he was, completely frozen. Was that his name? How did she know his name? It looked like she read it off a list, how did she-

"Adam!? Adam, you're here!?" Came the voice that was the whole reason for Adam's predicament.

The pretty little girl with the straight black hair elbowed her way past the fellow eleven-year-olds, as she made her way to him, absolutely beaming. Adam didn't think his heart could beat any faster, but there it went.

"Oh, Adam, I'm so happy! I had no idea you were a wizard, too!" she cried in joy, taking his hands and squeezing them.

"Yeah," Adam somehow managed despite the dryness of his throat. He also had absolutely no idea what he'd just agreed with. Did she say wizard?

Either way, it got her smile to brighten even more, as she older woman behind her cleared her throat in annoyance and repeated his name. The girl gasped, realizing that they were being rude, and she pulled Adam forward, in the direction of the chair with the hat.

"Ooh, I hope we're in the same house! Oh, Adam, I can't believe it! I really thought I wouldn't see you anymore!" She said, so happily, giving his hands a final squeeze before letting go. Adam gave her an awkward smile and shrug, his feet somehow moving one after the other to help him stumble towards that chair.

The older woman gave him a disapproving look as he sat down. He was shaking terribly and sweating so much he was sure he'd leave a puddle, but several others had been in a similar state as him already, so no one even looked twice.

He had no idea what to do. All eyes were on him, and slowly, that hat was lowered down, onto his head…

"_My, isn't this interesting?_" he heard a deep voice in his head, and Adam just barely resisted the urge to scream. A strange, frightened squeak left his throat, instead.

_What is going on, what are these people, why is Isabelle here? Oh god, oh god, they're going to find out I'm not supposed to be here, Isabelle is going to hate me…_

"_Yes, I can see she matters a lot to you_," The voice said in some sort of agreement, causing a small whimper to leave Adam again. "_You worked very hard to get here, didn't you? Tucked away, hidden from everyone, even somehow managed to get around all the charms we have set up. Very interesting…_" The voice repeated.

Adam's shaking intensified, as the voice in his head gave a strange rumble of agreement to a thought he didn't bother to share with Adam, before saying, "_Well, I know what to do with a hard worker_."

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The voice shouted, this time, from atop Adam's head, instead of inside it.

The tables covered in yellow and black in a corner burst out into loud applause and cheers. The red and gold tables clapped politely, as did a tables of blue and silver. The green and white tables sent boos and, Adam could make out a few comments about him possibly wetting himself.

"Off with you, Mr. Wolfsbane," the older woman said, as she took the hat off, and gently nudged him towards the cheers. "And we'll need to discuss your strange attire in private, later."

Adam stumbled up to his feet, looking back up at her with wide, panicked eyes. He had no idea what had just happened.

His head swiveled, looking around until his eyes caught sight of Isabelle again. She was beaming and clapping her hands like crazy, before pointing him to the tables he'd been nudged towards. After a moment, Adam managed to get his feet to move in that direction, as he heard the older woman call out, "Xu, Isabelle!"

He watched while he walked, as she sat down in the chair with a squeal of excitement. The hat barely touched her head before it shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" which caused the red tables burst into roars of approval to drown out the roars of disapproval from the green tables.

Adam felt something in his heart sink, when she gave him a slightly sad look as she stood up, before she stood to walk in the other direction.

Adam sat down and was met by excited greetings and some happy jostling, but he was stiff as a board. He looked at the table, his nostrils flaring in silent fear whenever he saw a plate of food appear from literally nowhere, which no one but him seemed to find strange. One person even complained about the state of the potatoes that had magically come out of thin air somewhere to his left.

Adam wasn't able to listen to the conversations around him. He caught words here and there, strange ones. Potions. Arithmancy. Wand. He'd thought he'd stumbled into some sort of live-action cosplay convention, until the self-moving coaches, floating candles, the talking hat, and now, the magic food. His world view was literally turning upside-down. He didn't even notice that he'd picked up a roll and stuffed it into his mouth at some point, with how loudly and quickly the wheels in his head were spinning. Nor did he notice when a boy on the other side of the table stood up, to make his way over to Adam and sit down next to him.

"Hey," A whisper came to the left of Adam. It was directly next to his ear and brought young boy back to reality, causing him to choke on his roll for a second. His eyes turned to see a boy maybe a year or two older than him. He was pale, had bags under his eyes; he seemed sickly. There was something about him that managed to put Adam further on edge than he already was.

"Hi," Adam managed awkwardly, and the crazed smile on this older boy's face widened.

"You're like me," he whispered to Adam. Adam's eyes shifted around guiltily, not sure what to say, before the boy added, "You don't have magic. You're not a wizard."

Adam froze, and for a moment, a cautious feeling of ease permeated through his body. Someone here knew? Someone knew he was normal? And he seemed excited by the idea…

The older boy's eyes shifted around, and he moved his robes to the side slightly, revealing an old, tattered book with a stain on the front that looked suspiciously like dried blood. Adam could make out the faded title, _A Hunter's Guide to Sorcery_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Adam Wolfsbane and the Sorcerer's Secret**  
><strong>Part 2: Taming a Wand<strong>

Adam followed the boy out of what he now knew to be called the "Great Hall", down towards what seemed to be a kitchen. Adam's throat was too dry to scream at that point, or else, seeing the very tiny, humanoid-looking things with huge ears and large noses, running around in what seemed to be potato sacks and other garbage, would've probably had him screaming more-than-loud-enough to bring attention to himself.

Adam wasn't listening to the boy, who had at some point after showing him that book had mentioned that his name was Balder, though he continued to whisper things to Adam every now and then. The younger boy was more interested in trying not to faint. If the tiny people in potato sacks weren't enough, when they got past a large barrel an older teenager was leading them through, a ghost - an actual ghost, pale and transparent and floating and every thing Adam had ever been told about them - floated through the wall, tipped his head (not his hat, his entire _head_, which seemed to be hanging on by a thread) and moved along as dozens of the eleven-year-olds around him shrieked with giggles.

By the time Adam had finally made it to the large yellow-and-black room that reminded him of an underground burrow, he could hardly keep himself up. His knees felt weak, his hands were shaking, and he felt incredibly nauseous; he found the first arm rest he could and just propped up against it, taking shallow breaths. He just kept begging for his body to wake up already, but nothing was happening.

"Come on, those idiots are going to be out doing something stupid right now," Balder said, causing Adam to realize he was still there, and had been saying something or another the entire time they'd been walking. Adam hadn't paid attention to a single word of it.

The younger boy looked up with lost, horrified eyes as Balder turned to lead him somewhere. How was this kid taking everything so easily? He seemed as nonchalant as everyone else there, yet he'd claimed he and Adam were the same. Had he lied? Was he just messing with the younger boy? Some sort of cruel prank?

Balder turned, when he noticed Adam wasn't following, and was met with those dark eyes looking up at him. He furrowed his brows in confusion for a moment, before he seemed to realize something, and leaned in close, to whisper to Adam.

"I know, my first year, I was a mess, too. It was so freaky, being around all these...people," he said the last word in a manner that made the muscles under Adam's eye twinge with annoyance. "But you get used to it. Trust me. Now come on — it doesn't look like you really came prepared..."

He moved ahead again, looking back at Adam expectantly. Adam stayed where he was, letting his head bow down so he could look at his feet. After some deep thought, he figured there was no point in fighting. The best he could do, at this point, was go along with what he could. If he was lucky, maybe this kid could offer up some explanations about...anything that was going on.

So, Adam reluctantly followed the older boy down a corridor, to what seemed to be a relatively normal dorm room, enough to fit about six people. Each bed had a large trunk sitting at the foot of it, already, and Balder went straight to the bed in the corner to open that trunk up. The trunk was black and plan, except for all the cuts and other marks on it. It looked as though someone was constantly scratching it up, as well as constantly scrubbing things off of it. Balder undid a large, complicated lock that glowed gently when he touched it, before pulling the lid open.

The trunk was full of leather-bound books, quills, jars of ink, parchment, robes, and other things that made Adam feel like he'd fallen through a portal and ended up in the 1800's. But he also saw some things he recognized - a 3DS with some games for it, an iPod, and even an iPhone, though all of them were off. His attention was instantly grabbed by a 3DS game he'd been waiting to buy at home, and he couldn't resist the urge to lean in slightly and get a better look at it.

"Don't bother," Balder told Adam, when he saw where his eyes were going. "Electronics don't work here. You need to do a whole bunch of stuff to get around that."

While he was speaking, Balder did something Adam didn't understand. He pulled away a piece of the leather lining the inside of the trunk, and hidden behind it was a symbol. Adam thought it might have been Chinese, like some of the things he'd seen in Isabelle's home, but it seemed even more complicated than any he remembered.

The older boy then tapped his fingers over the symbol in a specific sort of rhythm, and suddenly, the bottom of the trunk split in half, with the bottom of it swinging back and open like a trap door. Not only did the things that were sitting on it not move, hanging on as though they were been glued to the trunk floor, but the space that was revealed was huge, the size of a closet, easily.

Adam stumbled back in surprise, his eyes growing huge, trying to figure out how that happened. Was that actually a trap door? That kid had actually sawed a hole straight into the floor of a dorm room?

"Enlargement charm," Balder told Adam, as though that was supposed to explain anything, and he tilted the trunk up slightly to prove to the younger boy that the dorm floor was all in one piece. Adam just make a weak sound of disapproval; he wasn't sure how much more his twelve-year-old heart could take that day. His reaction made Balder smile in entertainment. "Wow, you really ARE new to this. How did you find out about everything, anyway?" He asked, before he leaned into his way-too-deep trunk and started fishing for something.

Adam's face grew rather hot at that question.

He wasn't about to admit to how the only reason he was there was because he'd essentially stalked his childhood friend, who had been growing quieter and more distant from him over the last few months. How he'd overheard her parents mentioning that they were going to King's Cross Station that day to see her off, and so, Adam had gotten there at five in the morning on his bike, and waited, and waited, until he finally saw her. How, when he HAD seen her, instead of going up to her and giving her the present he'd made, he instead lost his nerve, and like the awkward boy he was, quietly followed her and her family at a short distance, blending in with a rather large family going the same direction as them. How he'd sworn they must've just walked through a wall, but his eyes were so focused on Isabelle, that he hadn't bothered to note that it was sort of fishy. How he'd climbed right onto that train without even thinking anything through, and sat next a next to a sick boy who'd slept through the entire ride. How he'd then climbed off and did his best to find Isabelle again, and only started noticing that everyone was dressed in black robes by the time he'd found himself on a boat with a man he suspected was some sort of giant wrestler. Or how, in the end of all that, he'd only spoken a word to Isabelle by the time she'd finally noticed him in the Great Hall.

"Just happened," were the words that came out of Adam's mouth. Thankfully, that seemed to be enough for Balder, who solemnly nodded with understanding.

"Yeah…I didn't plan on it, either. Fate has a way of finding you, huh?" the older boy muttered quietly. For a moment, Adam felt very sorry for him, even though he didn't know why.

But, Balder pushed that solemn thought away quickly and straightened up, pulling out a different set of books, as well as a dark-purple pouch with another one of those symbols on it, like the complicated one on the trunk. He set the books down in a pile next to the trunk before closing it, but kept the pouch in-hand.

"Did you tame a wand yet?" He asked, sounding quite hopeful, though Adam didn't know if that hopefulness was reserved for a yes or no answer. Adam furrowed his brows, because he was pretty sure the guy had said "Wand", like a magic wand. But then, he remembered the rest of the day, and decided that asking this guy to repeat himself was both stupid and pointless.

"No," Adam decided was the right answer to that question, and the way the Balder's face lit up suggested that he picked correctly. He motioned for Adam to sit down, and he did, as Balder revealed the contents of the bag. The symbol glowed when he opened the pouch, but the light faded as quickly as it appeared, and bag's contents slid out onto the floor - a bunch of sticks.

"I already have one I tamed pretty well," Balder said with a bragging tone. Adam focused his eyes on the pile of differently-shaped sticks so he didn't end up giving the older boy a look that let him know how crazy Adam thought he was at the moment.

"You're a little tall for your age - here, try this one," the boy said, picking up what Adam was sure must have been a completely random stick and holding it out to the younger boy.

The second Adam felt it in his palm, a horribly unpleasant feeling swept through his body. That sickness he'd been feeling all day suddenly tripled; his insides twisted, his head throbbed, he felt a fresh layer of sweat coat his body, and he just barely managed to fight the urge to throw up. He let the stick clatter to the floor, as he suddenly doubled over, gagging and fighting the urge to heave.

"Oh, man, you haven't even gotten over Hunter's Sickness, yet," Balder said with a tone that suggested he was both shocked and a little impressed. Adam just barely managed to lift his head and give Balder a look to let him know just how much he hated the older boy right that second.

Balder pulled the stick away from Adam and put a hand on his shoulder, trying to help the younger boy focus. "It's okay, it's easy. Keep breathing, it helps your stomach calm down. Try to keep it through your nose, opening your mouth can make it worse. Now, just try to close your eyes, and instead of fighting it — sort of let it...go through," he said, motioning from the core of his body fluidly away from it, towards the outside, like a wave of water splashing over him. "It comes, then it leaves. It's to let you know that something is really full of magical potential. The more it happens, the less you'll feel it, I swear."

Balder reached over, to pick up the stick — or, well, 'wand', Adam supposed — and offered it to Adam again.

"Accept it, and let it flow all the way through you. Don't fight the feeling, don't try to tense up and make it go away. Like if you have to keep smelling something really gross," Balder told him.

Adam gave him the same look as he'd given him before. He still felt sick, but it was fading faster than he'd expected. He looked at that wand again, before looking up at Balder with an incredulous look once more. With a heavy sigh, Adam did sit up and reluctantly reach towards it, not entirely sure why he was so stupid. That same feeling hit him like a lightning bolt. Adam did his best not to tense, not to fight it, and ended up gagging very loudly and falling forward again, anyway. But, this time, it didn't last as long. The feeling didn't persist. Instead, it was like Balder had suggested with his motion - it washed over Adam, and then turned into nothing but a persistent, and very annoying, sort of buzz all throughout his body, almost like the throbbing after receiving a very nasty bruise.

His fingers curled reluctantly around the wand; it felt almost like touching a spider. Adam's body simply did not want to do it, and forcing it to made Adam feel extremely uncomfortable. But at the same time, he could feel the energy inside of his palm, vibrating, humming in a manner that even his bones could feel. It terrified Adam, it felt wrong - but at the same time, somewhere, deep in his core, he felt as though he'd accomplished something. Like he just won some sort of battle.

"Wow, you're kind of a natural at this, aren't you?" Balder said with an impressed tone as he watched Adam straighten up. "How's it feel?"

"Weird," Adam said right away. That was the first thing he'd been sure of all day. "But, like…I don't know. Like I'm supposed to do something to it. Like I need to fix it," He didn't know how to explain the rest of his sensations, though.

"Good Hunter instinct," Balder nodded deeply with approval. "It's your instinct to tame it. The wand doesn't want to listen to you, because you're not a wizard. Usually, the wand gets to pick who wields it, and a wizard just needs to keep going until they find one that likes them. Hunters like us? We don't bother with that stuff. We _make_ magic stuff do what we want."

"Uh-huh," Adam just nodded slowly, beginning to question this kid's sanity again.

"Grip it tight - let it know who's boss. Keep your hand steady, let it know it won't get away with anything with you. Then, you need to flick it - nice and strong - to make it give off some magic for you. Go ahead - try!" Balder motioned to Adam to start with expectant eyes.

Adam looked at him for a moment, before looking down at the wand in his hand. A stick. Okay, a_magic_ stick. He was beginning to accept that that was just a 'thing', now. But it was still a stick. He was supposed to show it he was the boss? An inanimate object?

He gripped it a little tighter, then sort of half-heartedly flicked it, like he was trying to tap an invisible table. Nothing happened, though that sick feeling started to come back.

Balder frowned. "No! Come on, you need to take this seriously! Try again!"

Adam did his best, but he simply couldn't manage it. He flicked it over and over again, hard, soft, left, right, growing more and more annoyed with Balder every time, and then more and more annoyed with himself as he started to question why in the world he was even doing this.

What felt like a thousand flicks later, Balder ended up tugging at his blonde hair in frustration, and he started to lose control of his volume.

"Come ON! This is one of the most BASIC things! Wands are MADE to be used, I know you don't have a lot of magic absorbed yet, but if you can't even do THIS, there's no WAY you can stay here! What, do you want to get kicked out!? Never be allowed here again, huh!? You'll lose your chance!"

Adam felt his chest tense slightly in panic. He wasn't sure what Balder really meant by all that, but his words got to him, anyway. If this was an easy thing, Balder must have been right. They were going to find out, they were going to kick him out - and Adam wouldn't see Isabelle anymore.

The thought made Adam's grip around the wand much tighter than it had been so far. He looked at that wand, glaring at it with a hatred he didn't know he was even capable of having towards a stick. He clenched his jaw tightly, and that hatred turned into a sort of resolve. He was going to do this. No one was going to make him never see Isabelle again - especially not some stupid stick.

His nostrils flared, and he flicked once, twice. Nothing happened, and that sickness started to build up again. Adam let out a sharp, annoyed breath; that sickness was now angering him rather than bringing him down. Despite the feeling, he flicked the wand again, with even more strength than he had before, absolutely refusing to let a stick keep him from his friend.

And this time, finally - strange, orange sparks shot out of it.

It reminded Adam of a sparkler, but it shot quickly, violently almost, right across the room. Balder barely had time to duck out of the way of them, laughing loudly, in a mix of disbelief and awe.

Adam's jaw dropped, and a strange swelling of pride started up in his chest. He did it - he showed this stupid stick. No piece of wood was going to get the better of him. He could snap it in half, he could throw it on the ground. He had the power, he was the one who in control! No magic was going to control him, he'd be the one who bent it to his will! He would-

Wait...what?

Adam opened his hand, letting the wand clatter to the floor as Balder continued to laugh loudly and spout compliments. But Adam wasn't listening. He felt almost dirty.

What was with those thoughts? Where had they come from? Where had that hatred come from? That thirst? That violent urge?

Adam shrank away from the wand, an uncomfortable sensation starting to creep over him. He didn't know how to feel. That hate was wrong, those thoughts were wrong, he knew they were wrong.

So...why had they felt right?

* * *

><p><strong>Azzaza's notes<strong>: Thank you to everyone who reads! If anything is strange, if there are typos, mistakes, something incorrect about the HP lore, please feel free to tell me so I can fix it! I appreciate any help. :) I hope you all continue to enjoy the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Adam Wolfsbane and the Sorcerer's Secret  
><strong>**Part 3: The Lies Begin**

Balder spent a long time talking to Adam. The younger boy did his best to listen, but the strange feelings were still bothering him: that hatred, that Hunter's sickness feeling, and general, slow realization of how serious this situation truly was. And even if that hadn't been the case, there was just so much information to memorize, so many terms. Adam was a pretty decent student, but that was at things like math and writing. He hated memorizing things like names and dates, he hated things like history - and so much of what Balder was telling him was exactly that. The word for this is this, this term means that, they do this because one time this happened...Adam did his best to keep up, but it was too much. The whole day was just too much.

He did his best to memorize some essentials: people without magic were called "Muggles". People wouldn't question him not knowing what was going on as long as he said he was "Muggle-born". He needed to practice with the wand every night, to make sure it didn't "forget who was boss". He had to make sure to never mentioned he was a "Hunter" or "into Sorcery". As a "Hufflepuff" (Balder has to keep reminding him that, no, it wasn't "Jigglypuff"), he was supposed to dislike the...Snake people? Lizard people? The green ones. He was supposed to wear robes; Balder gave Adam some of his robes from his first year that didn't really fit anymore. They were tattered, and Adam was sure they'd be tight on him, but it was better than nothing, and he was grateful. Balder helped Adam come up with a story about how some of the older students had thrown his trunk off the trait, and thus, explained he didn't have his books, or clothes, or anything else.

And, most strangely, and as Balder said, most importantly - he gave Adam a small, strange, triangular glass vial. The glass was very thick, and the top was difficult to remove. Like everything else Balder seemed to own, it had a strange symbol on the top, that glowed slightly whenever touched. Inside was a strange red liquid that reminded Adam far too much of blood, in everything from texture, to consistently, to smell, and even, unfortunately, taste.

Balder told Adam that the serum would help Adam grow stronger as a Hunter. It would make his Hunter's Sickness weaker, make it easier for him to tame magical objects and look more like a wizard. He was supposed to drink a drop every day, or there was a good chance he wouldn't be able handle being in this place.

Adam finally left when the dorm door opened and three other thirteen-year-old boys entered. Balder instantly hid his books under his bed in a surprisingly swift motion, and when the boys started to make comments about Balder's boyfriend needing to go to his own room, Balder told Adam that he should probably go find his dorm. Apparently, the lists and other things at the school magically added the names of any child who crossed in on the boats.

When Adam went back into the common area, there was almost no one there. Some students were walking around, saying goodnight to those in various rooms, but no one was really sticking around. It was quieter there, compared to any of the dorm areas.

The young boy found a chair a little off to the side, next to a fireplace with a fire that seemed to be burning with no wood or gas or anything else, and slowly slid into it. The vial was in his pocket, and in his arms were the robes and a book, _An Introduction to the Magical for Muggle-born Wizards and Witches._

Finally alone, finally with a moment to himself, Adam sunk deeper and deeper into the chair, his brain finally having a chance to truly process the situation he was in.

He had no idea where he was, how to get home, or how to even contact anyone back home. He had no clothes, he didn't know how long he'd be able to keep getting free food. He was in a place full of strange people who supposedly had magical abilities, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do about it. Tell them it was a mistake? Try to lie to fit in? He had absolutely no idea how they'd react, but the way Balder had been going on and on, telling them the truth sounded like it'd result in a death sentence. Here he was, in a strange place, full of strange people, with no extra clothes, no phone, no ideas about what was good or bad or normal. All because he'd been too much of a coward to give his friend the present he'd made her.

Adam pulled the small brown package out of his pocket to look at it. Inside was a necklace, or more, a string with a bunch of plastic beads on it. He'd gotten ones of her favorite colors and had found charms of all the animals from her favorite story. It had taken him weeks to get it all together. And yet, he'd never given it to her.

He groaned in disappointment at himself, hanging his head low. He was so stupid. He hadn't thought at all, he hadn't considered anything, and now, he was alone, and he had to worry about magic, and yet, if he left, he wouldn't be able to talk to Isabelle ever again...

"Hey, you're Wolfsbane, right?"

Adam's head shot up in panic, hearing his name. He wasn't sure why he was so on edge, and seeing that it was only a pair of boys his age made him feel even dumber about his reaction.

"We're in the same room," The boy on the left said with an excited smile. He was small for his age and a little on the pudgy side, with buck teeth and large ears. He wore a pair of round glasses, and freckles covered almost every inch of his skin.

"We saw you during sorting," the boy on the right added, when Adam still looked confused. This boy's skin was a very dark tan, and he was wearing a pair of headphones around his neck. Something about the pure, cool confidence in this boy's face made Adam feel like he knew a thing or two others their age may not have. "Really cool, not putting on the robes, by the way. They're so lame," the boy with the headphones smirked, and offered his fist to Adam, seemingly expecting a fist-bump.

Adam looked him up and down. This boy's robes were a bit different from others - he kept them more open and one of the sleeves had been torn off. "Uh, yeah," Adam finally said, lifting his hand to awkwardly bump the boy's fist back. His eyes were mostly stuck on the headphones. "I thought electronic stuff didn't work," he pointed out. Had Balder been lying?

The boy gave a bark of a laugh, impressed with Adam's observational skills. "No electricity," he explained, pulling the wire out of his robes to reveal that it wasn't plugged into anything. "My brother enchanted them. You know, got a perfect score in Charms on his OWLs last year, so this isn't a big deal. Awesome, right?" he said in a dismissive tone, as though trying to hide the fact that he was bragging.

"Yeah," Adam couldn't help agreeing, his eyes growing huge.

"It's SO cool," the freckled boy agreed brightly. "His brother's a genius!" he added, which made the other boy hold up a hand, as though asking his freckled friend to calm down.

"'Genius' is a big word. He's more like an...artist," he decided on, nodding in improvement of his own statement, before his eyes fell back to Adam. "I'm Kesar, by the way. And this is Edwin," he said, motioning to his freckled friend, who nodded his head with enthusiasm.

"Oh!" Edwin's eyes widened, as he caught sight of the book in Adam's hands. "You're Muggle-born? First one in your family?" He asked with such a gasp.

"Uh, yeah," Adam agreed, remembering what Balder had told him. "I really don't know much," he said, feeling a lot more honest with that statement.

"Wow, that must be a big culture shock," Kesar said, shaking his head with a but of pity.

"Oh, everything is so cool! You'll pick up really quick. I've read EVERY book on the school, you can ask me anything you want!" Edwin promised, giving a laugh that reminded Adam a bit of a donkey.

"Thanks," Adam nodded his head, almost surprised that he genuinely meant it. Neither of these boys seemed to think he was weird or that he didn't belong there. And even better, they weren't worse than the kids at school back home. In fact, they were a lot nicer than he was used to.

"So, what classes are you guys excited for?" Edwin asked, looking to both Adam and Kesar. Just like that, the freckled boy seemed to assume that Adam was now his friend.

"Transfiguration," Kesar said with a dismissive shrug. "Turning something into something else - I mean, it's the most difficult magic there is. Plus, I need to figure out how to be an Animagus by some time this year."

"An animagus?" Edwin gasped, clearly believing him.

"Yeah, just watch," the taller boy smirked, as he turned to walk down a corridor. He paused, and turned to look at Adam, expectantly. "What about you, Wolfsbane?"

Both boys paused at they looked at him. It took Adam a moment to realize they were waiting for him to stand up and walk after them. He scrambled to his feet, dropping one of the robes and picking it up again, before walking after them. "Uh, I don't know," he admitted honestly. "I don't really know what to expect." Understatement of the year, Adam realized.

"Oh, don't worry! I'll tell you all about it!" Edwin promised, as the three boys walked along into their dorm.

Edwin made good on his promise - by morning, not only did Adam have a genera idea of what all the classes were, but he also had a much better understanding of many magical terms. The kid seemed to know everything there was about the school, maybe even about the Wizarding world, and was horribly excited to share the information. Edwin did need to lower his voice to a whisper, about an hour in, as the other three dorm mates groaned for him to shut up so they could sleep, but it didn't hinder his teaching abilities very much.

By the early hours of the morning, not only was Adam feeling a whole lot better about his situation, but a part of him actually forgot that he wasn't supposed to be there and that he was, in fact, _not_ a wizard.

Adam finally managed to go to sleep just before the first rays of sunshine were peeking through the windows, and it was only a few hours later that Edwin was shaking him awake, already fully dressed and ready for the day.

"Come on, wake up! You don't want to be late for breakfast!" He said with excitement, causing Adam to groan loudly. The sick feeling that had been subsiding the night before seemed to be coming back full swing and combining with his lack of sleep. Adam tried to open his dark eyes but just ended up squinting in pain. He groaned again, but with encouragement from Edwin, managed to roll over, and then finally sit up.

"You look like you could use a shower," Kesar pointed out, a little behind Edwin, also ready for the day.

"Yeah," Adam agreed, looking himself over. Even in his sleepy state, he could tell that smell of day-old sweat was coming from him. Though, a second after he said it, he closed his eyes tightly in annoyance, and threw his head back with a groan. "I don't have anything to change into!" He realized.

"What?" Kesar couldn't help smiling at the ridiculousness of that statement. "How did you pull_that_ off?"

"Er," Adam's groggy mind was slow, but after a little mental stumbling, he remembered his excuse, "Some people threw my trunk off, when the train was leaving. I lost all my stuff."

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Kesar shook his head in disappointment. "Dang, Wolfsbane, get it together. Any adult would've been able to get it back to you, no problem."

"He's muggle-born!" Edwin reminded Kesar. "He doesn't know what magic can or can't be used for! It's okay," he added, over to Adam. "I'm sure you can tell Professor Sprout, and she'll help you. She's the head of our house, and everyone always says how nice she is. We have Herbology with her today."

"Thanks," Adam said, though as he said it, he realized how unsure he was about that promise. What if she wanted to send home for new clothes? How was he going to get out of that one?

Adam pulled some robes on (and the were, in fact, a little tighter than he would have liked), and followed the other two boys out into the Great Hall. They took a wrong turn or two, but thankfully, the Great Hall was very close to their Common Room, so it didn't take too long.

When they walked in, the Hall was already abuzz with energy. Students who hadn't seen each other the night before were chatting away, comparing books, talking about elective classes, while others who were barely awake did their best to try and read the paper and get food to enter their mouths. Adam stiffened in discomfort at all the sounds of life, shutting his eyes to groan for a moment. He really felt terrible, and the sight of so many owls flying around made him even more nervous. He'd had the bad luck of standing under the wrong pigeon as a child, and he had quite the dislike for all birds as a result.

The boys all sat down at the table, as Edwin started telling them what their schedule for the day was going to be like and the likely things they were going to talk and learn about at their very first magical lessons. Adam wanted to listen, but he was too busy dealing with a strange mix of starving yet being too nauseous to eat at the same time.

Adam finally managed to reach out for an orange slice on a plate in front of him, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Adam's heart jumped, and he turned around, hoping to see Isabelle - but instead, it was an entirely different girl. Also in her first year, and wearing the blue and silver of the Raven-something house.

She was a very pretty girl. She had a healthy tan on her skin and wavy, long blonde hair that she kept in a braid on the side of her head, with her bangs held back with various cute pins. At the moment, the pins were blue and silver to match her House.

"Hi!" She said in excitement. Edwin and Kesar both froze, looking to Adam for an explanation of how he knew this girl, but all he could offer them was an equally confused look.

"Adam, right? Wolfswood?" She asked with a dazzling smile. "Sorry, I couldn't help noticing your accent yesterday! Your accent is American!"

Adam looked between Edwin and Kesar, but they had nothing to offer him but confused shrugs. "And...yours is Australian?" Adam countered with, wondering if that was the game she was trying to play.

"It is!" She agreed, as though it was impressive that Adam had know that. She leaned in a bit closer to Adam. "Are you really an American wizard?" She asked, with her hands clasped under her chin.

For some reason, Kesar gave a horrendously loud groan of annoyance and disgust, turning away from this girl and pulling his headphones up, to cover his ears.

"Um...Not really," Adam said, a little slowly. Trying to fight the urge to throw up while simultaneously making sure all of his story stayed consistent wasn't the easy for him. He was making sure to think about each word before letting it leave his mouth. "My dad was American. My mum was from here. We moved from America when I were seven, but I guess I ended up talking more like him," he answered the question honestly, since he'd been getting it in London quite a bit growing up, and realized there wasn't really anything in it that made his story here any less consistent.

"Oh..." The girl's excited expression dropped almost instantly. But, a glimmer of hope came back to her big, hazel eyes as she asked, "But do you know about the magic schools there? Did your dad graduate from one?"

"He's muggle-born," Erwin cut in for Adam. "He wouldn't know about any of that stuff."

"Oh..." She repeated, this time with the last of her hope snuffed out. "Well, no worries," she said, trying to hide her disappointment but failing. "Name's Olivia, by the way, Olivia Johnson. But you can call me Liv," she offered, finally managing another dazzling smile. "You need a partner in potions, go ahead and look me up, Wolfy," she winked at him, before giggling and running off, leaving both Edwin and Adam completely and utterly confused.

"Do...Do girls do that to you a lot?" Edwin asked after a moment of silence.

"No," Adam said instantly, entirely uncomfortable with the situation. What a weird girl.

"It's because of the stupid _books_," Kesar practically spat in disgust, as he lowered his headphones again. Edwin let out a sound of understanding, while Adam just lifted his hand in confusion, hoping it would prompt Kesar into explaining more. Kesar groaned, but did continue, "There's these stupid books about a boy who's an Auror, because he's possessed by the ghost of an American Wizard. ALL the girls are going nutty over it, especially because there a ruddy movie coming out."

"Oh, I LOVE the _Auror Andrews_ series!" Edwin gushed. "They have the BEST actor playing him, and I heard they even MADE UP ten new spells, JUST to make the movie more realistic!"

Kesar stared at Edwin for a moment, before he turned back to his plate, pulling his headphones over his ears again.

"That's really weird," Adam muttered with a shake of his head. Edwin's expression fell, but Adam quickly added, "N-not you! I'm sure the book's great! I meant that girl. _That_ was weird," he clarified, and thankfully, that seemed enough for Edwin.

"Maybe you're just someone who's popular with girls and doesn't know it. My mum said my dad always was like that, growing up," he smiled at the idea, though Adam had to fight making a face. Augh, no thank you. He'd only ever met one girl he could tolerate.

"Adam!"

Adam almost made a face-plant into his one orange slice as he suddenly felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around his shoulder for a hug. His face grew horribly hot, but he couldn't help smiling, because this time, he definitely knew who was trying to get his attention.

"Hey, Isabelle," he said as he turned around to face her scrunched up nose and tongue sticking out at him. He thought the red and gold colors really suited her.

"We have Herbology with you today!" she told him taking his hands and doing a little bounce. "You need to tell me _all_about how you found out, how you got your owl, everything! I can't believe you kept this from me! But, well, I guess it's fair, since _I_ kept it from you, but...still!" She bounced again, before falling forward to hug Adam again, this time more from the side due to how he'd turned his body. "I can't believe I get to go to Hogwarts with my best friend!"

Another girl with the red and gold colors called the Isabelle's name, and Isabelle looked up at them, before giving Adam a reluctant look. "I need to go, we're going to try and figure out the staircases. But Herbology! You better not try and pair up with anyone else!" She was already walking backwards, away from Adam, pointing a finger to her eyes and then pointing them at him with her version of a serious glare. She ended up walking straight into someone behind her, and gasped in surprise, quickly turning around to apologize them them, causing Adam to laugh gently.

"Promise," he called after her. She smiled at him again, and apologized to the third-year Hufflepuff girl she'd bumped into one more time, before turning to catch up with the other Gryffindor girls.

When Adam turned back to the table, he jumped slightly in surprise, seeing Kesar and Edwin's eyes on him, clearly expecting an explanation of some sort. "What?"

"...Are you SURE girls aren't just like that with you?" Edwin repeated, causing Adam's face to grow very hot.

"It's not like that! Isabelle's just a friend, my neighbor. She was the first friend I had when I moved to London," he tried to defend himself, but Kesar and Edwin gave him looks that suggested they didn't believe him.

Adam opened his mouth to argue again, but before he could, there was a loud flap of wings, and Adam shouted in surprise as a small barn own landed on his plate and began sticking its foot out towards him.

"What does it want!?" Adam leaned as far back as he physically could, trying to stay as far from the stupid bird as possible.

"It has a letter," Edwin said calmly, untying it from the bird's leg, and offering it a small piece of bacon for its trouble. The owl hooted to him in gratitude, before swiveling its head at Adam with a highly insulted expression and flying off.

"This is from the Headmistress," Edwin said quietly, looking at the seal on the letter. His voice grew rather grim and unsure. "She must want to talk to you about something, Adam."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes<strong>: Part three! I hope people are still interested. Thank you if you are. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Adam Wolfsbane and the Sorcerer's Secret**  
><strong>Part 4: A Letter home<strong>

Adam froze entirely, a feeling of horrible dread washing over him. He felt sick as it was, but now, he was half-sure he was going to faint.

"Th-the who?" He asked, weakly, hoping he'd heard wrong. He must have gone pale, because Kesar and Edwin were both quick to reassure him and had their arms out, like they expected Adam to keel over.

"The Headmistress, but it's probably not a big deal," Kesar said carefully. "People get called there all the time, but the worst that happens is you lose some points for your house, no big deal. People will forget about that kind of stuff really fast."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Edwin agreed, but he couldn't hide all his nerves. Being called to the Headmistress's office on the first day? That was a nightmare to someone like Edwin.

Adam tried to swallow past a lump in his throat but didn't manage. "What's it say?" he finally got out. Edwin took that as a sign of permission and broke the seal, opening the letter up.

"Mr. Wolfsbane,

Please allow your Prefect to escort you to my office, she will be waiting for you outside the Great Hall. Professor Flitwick is already aware of the situation.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Edwin glanced the letter over again, and even turned it over, but he couldn't find any other writing anywhere.

"She just wants to see you in her office," Edwin said, doing his best to feign a hopeful expression.

"See, it'll be fine," Kesar tried to reassure Adam again, giving him a hard pat on the back. "We'll save a seat for you in Charms."

"R-right," Adam muttered, but in his head, he couldn't stop repeating, _That's it, I'm caught, they know, it's over. Of course they know, they have Magic. How could they not know? I'm done, it's over._

Kesar and Edwin helped encourage Adam to stand up, and walked him to the entrance to the Great Hall, where the sixth year Hufflepuff Prefect was waiting for him, who was reading a book to prepare her for her first class.

"H-hi, I'm, uh..." Adam fumbled, looking up at the taller girl, but when she saw him, she smiled brightly and cut him off.

"You must be Wolfsbane! Okay, let's go," she said, nodding her head over to the side. She seemed very nonchalant about it, but it did nothing to help the feeling in Adam's stomach.

Adam turned to give Kesar and Edwin one last look. Part of him was terrified that it was truly going to be the very last time he saw either of them. Or anyone, for that matter.

As they walked along, Adam was doing his best to think of a plan. Did he keep lying? Did he just run off and try and find Balder? Could he fake being sick? He didn't need to fake it, really, at this point, he was sure he could _actually_throw up. Adam was so lost in thought, he actually bumped into the girl when she finally stopped in front of an ugly statue.

"Come on, now, pay attention," she chided Adam, before telling the stone Gargoyle, "_Panthera tigris_."

Suddenly, the Gargoyle sprung to life, moving out of the way of the two and revealing a spiral staircase. Adam's mouth and eyes opened in horror, and he forgot how to move for a second. The Prefect had no problems with this, just gently, but firmly, pushing him along in front of her, for force him up the steps.

Adam's jaw fell further, when he entered into the room. At first, it just looked like a normal office - very neat and prim, with paintings on the walls and a large desk in front, and many bookshelves practically bursting with books pressed up against the sections of the walls that weren't occupied with portraits. The strangest thing at first glance was a beautiful golden cage that, at that moment, just had a pile of ash in it with what may have been some sort of egg. What had Adam gaping in horror was the realization that those portraits were _moving_. They were paint, no way were they any sort of screen. There the portraits were, just shifting and moving around, smiling, nodding at Adam or giving him little waves.

Adam fell backwards, but the prefect caught him and pushed him along, seemingly finding this all perfectly boring.

"Here's Adam Wolfsbane, Headmistress," she told the elderly woman who was looking out the window at the students walking around on the campus grounds below.

"Yes, thank you, Ms. Swann, that will be all," The woman said in a steady but strong voice that made Adam shrink a bit. He didn't want to be left alone with this woman. Her very presence was making his sickness worse, and her glasses and the way she wore her hair reminded him of his grandmother. He loved his grandmother - he couldn't lie to his grandmother.

The Prefect nodded her head and gave Adam an extra push forward before she turned to leave the room.

Adam was left standing in front of the desk. The woman turned around and looked down at him, making Adam feel positively tiny. Part of him just knew that disappointing this woman simply wasn't going to be an option. She had such a stern face, it was clear she was going to put up with no nonsense. He was quickly growing lightheaded from breathing so quickly in his panic.

"Please, sit down, Mr. Wolfsbane," she motioned to a chair next to him, taking a seat behind the chair behind her desk, herself. Adam's eyes flicked between her and the chair, and then, between her, the chair, and the window. For a second, he wondered if he could survive the fall. And then he sat down in the chair.

The woman folded her hands in front of her on the desk, leaning in slightly to look Adam in the eye as she spoke. "Professor Lawrence took special notice of you, yesterday, it would seem...Now, could you please explain to me why you expected to get away with something like this on your first day?"

Adam's eyes grew huge. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, she _did_ know. It was over. It was all over. He had no idea why he pretended anything could be okay. Balder had made it sound so easy. Balder was a liar.

"Mr. Wolfsbane?" She woman repeated firmly, with the exact same tone Adam's mother used whenever he was in trouble.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do, I just...it just happened, I don't know what I was thinking!" he blurted out. His eyes were filling with frightened tears, and he shook in his chair.

The woman didn't seem bothered, though she did lift a brow at him. "You 'just happened' to forget to put on your robes for the Sorting Ceremony? Despite the several announcements all throughout the Express?"

"I...I..." Adam's voice trailed off. He felt like a balloon with air being let out of it. "My robes...?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolfsbane, your robes," the Headmistress repeated. "Professor Lawrence said she'd made it clear to you we'd be discussing this with you."

"Oh..." Adam muttered, bowing his head slowly in disbelief. That was right. The lady with the paper with his name on it had said something along those lines, hadn't she?

"'Oh?'" The headmistress echoed in a tone that quickly reminded Adam he was still in trouble.

"I-I'm sorry!" He repeated again. "I'm sorry, it's just, I sort of - I sort of don't have any...robes," he admitted, his voice growing tiny. It wasn't a lie, but he knew he was going down that road, and it made him feel guilty. He had to avoid the woman's gaze out of shame. "A friend gave me these..."

"No robes?" the Headmistress gave Adam a chance to correct himself, but when he didn't, she asked, "And how did you happen to forget those, Mr. Wolfsbane?"

"I...I sort of lost everything..." He said, turning red as he avoided her shrewd eyes. That was a lie, no way around it. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He felt like this woman would just see right through him. "My trunk sort of got...lost, before the train took off..." He muttered. He didn't want to say people threw it off - that could get people in trouble.

"'Lost,' was, it?" The woman obviously didn't believe him. She looked him up and down, and Adam was sure she was staring straight into his soul. Whatever judgement she made, she ended up giving a small sigh, before saying, "Well, Mr. Wolfsbane, if anything else of yours should get 'lost' in such a manner, I suggest bringing it to the attention of one of the faculty. We do not allow bullying in this school. Friendly competition is fine between houses and on the Quidditch field, but destroying someone's things will not be tolerated."

Adam just gave a shaky nod to show that he understood. Even if he wasn't in this situation, he was sure this woman would still terrify him.

"Now, for the time being, each professor has several extra copies of books in their classrooms, and I will give you permission to use them. I will also ask the House Elves to bring you several changes of clothes and some classroom supplies. Then I shall write a letter to your family, explaining the situation, so that they may provide you with things you need."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Adam nodded his head. She had a tone of finality that made it clear he couldn't argue, even if, for some reason, he'd have wanted to.

"Good," the woman decided on, standing up, and giving Adam a look that suggested he should do the same, which he quickly did. "I can tell this is all very overwhelming to you, right now, Mr. Wolfsbane, but I assume you - this school is an amazing place. It, and those within it, tend to make the world a better place. And you are now one of those within it."

She finally gave a smile. Adam couldn't help smiling back, and nodding his head to show he understood.

"Though, if I would you, I may consider visiting the Hospital Wing," she said, as she guided him towards the exit. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to bring the color back to your cheeks."

"Yes, ma'am," Adam said again, nodding a second time, before hurrying out of the room. It wasn't until the gargoyle had moved back into its proper place that Adam fell against the nearest wall, and let out a loud, slow breath, one he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in that entire time.

That was it. That was all. He hadn't worn robes yesterday. That was all they'd wanted from him. That was it!

Without even realizing, Adam started laughing weakly. He brought his hands up to his face to try and stop the sound, but he just couldn't stop. He was so relieved. He's never been so terrified in his life, and all that, for nothing!

He stayed in that spot, his back against the wall, laughing into his hands for what must have been several minutes. The sound of approaching footsteps was what snapped Adam back to reality, and he turned quickly to walk down the corridor, only to instantly realize he had no idea where anything was. Every corridor looked the same and yet entirely different. He'd been too distracted to pay attention to where the Prefect had been taking him, and now, he was left by himself.

Adam wandered blindly for several minutes. At first, he was trying to find the room he was supposed to be in, the Charms classroom, but after a while, he started noticing something interesting. Some hallways made his sickness worse, while others eased it. He kept walking through them in different patterns, to see if it was all in his head or not, but after the third walk-through, he was sure there was some sort of weird connection that he didn't understand.

"Where are you trying to go?" came a voice behind Adam. Adam stopped and started to look around, but he couldn't see anyone around him. "Up here," the voice called out again. This time, Adam's eyes followed the direction of the voice, and ended up landing on the painting of a very stout man wearing what looked to be robes. It took Adam a second to place the haircut, and he realized it was a painting of a Friar.

"So, where are you trying to go, lost one?" The painting asked, and Adam fell backwards against the wall. Paintings moving, okay. A statue moving, even, okay. But _talking_? And not just something random and recorded, but it seemed to actually know Adam was there!

"Uh...buh...Hospital..." Adam's thoughts were scattered, and ended up landing on the Headmistress's suggestion.

"Oh, you poor soul, no wonder you're lost. To get to the Hospital Wing, just go straight from here. Take the staircase on the left; it will shift twice, and if you wait near its edge, on the second shift, you'll find yourself facing the correct path. Just walk forward, you'll find the Hospital Wing with no problems," the painting said with a warm smile.

"Th-thanks," Adam barely managed to fumble out, to which the painting chuckled.

"I'm always trying to help my fellow Hufflepuffs! Was my house when I was alive, you know. You'll probably see my ghost rather often. The students call me the Fat Friar," he told Adam with an entertained chuckle, which, despite the cheery manner in which the painting had said it, made that sickness in Adam pick up again. He waved, and Adam waved back, as he walked in the direction the painting had told him.

Though Adam had originally wanted to see the class he was supposed to be in, he now was a lot more interested to see if there was anything they could do about his headache and stomach problems. He was half-sure that if he stepped foot into a class with wands everywhere, he'd upchuck that breakfast he hadn't even eaten. So, the idea of an infirmary was a lot more appealing to him. Not to mention, he was getting increasingly curious about what magical medicine was like.

Adam followed the painting's instructions, and he did, in fact, end up in a corridor that had a red cross at the very end of it. He sighed in relief, picking up his pace slightly.

Adam was only maybe thirty feet away, before he was bull-rushed from the side, and tackled straight into the wall. He ended up banging his head on the wall and shouted in pain, his eyes watering. Before Adam could even say anything, he was yanked violently to the side, and though a door into what appeared to be some sort of closet. And not one used very often, either. There was nothing in it but some forgotten old brooms with words written along their sides. A lot of them looked broken and disheveled.

"WHAT do you think you're doing!?" Balder hissed in a loud whisper, as Adam continued to groan and rub his head. He could feel a lump forming, and the sting of tears wasn't leaving his eyes.

"What the heck are YOU doing!?" Adam demanded without a whisper, which instantly earned him an angry shush from the older boy. But Adam was extremely upset about being shoved around like that, so he didn't bother lowering his tone. "No, I'm serious! You smacked my head into the wall, you know-!"

"I might have just saved your _life_," Balder hissed.

That comment got Adam to quiet down instantly. His eyes grew huge, and he looked up, able to finally make out Balder's expression. The boy was very pink in the cheeks, and his hair was matted. He looked completely out of breath; he'd clearly run as fast as he could to find Adam.

"What?" Adam asked weakly, not sure what to say to that. The idea of being close to danger without even realizing it was quickly starting to frighten him.

"You can never - and I mean NEVER - go to the Hospital Wing. You understand?" Balder said, actually gripping Adam's collar so that he could force the boy to look right into his face.

"But my stomach-"

Adam was cut off when Balder pushed him backwards, forcing the younger boy's back into the wall. He then forced Adam's face up again, when he gripped the front of his shirt more tightly than before.

"Do you understand?" Balder repeated through gritted teeth.

"O-okay!" Adam stuttered back, now completely terrified. Not only was he afraid of what he'd almost walked into, but this wasn't how he'd expected to be treated by someone who'd been claiming he wanted to help. Adam had never been in anything even close to a fight before. Throwing pencils at each other, sort of shoving each other, sure, but nothing that'd ever cause a bruise like the one forming on the back of his head.

Balder looked Adam's face over, but Adam was avoiding his gaze. The tears in Adam's eyes were blurring his vision, and he was doing his best not to let them overflow, and he was scared that if he looked at Balder directly, that was exactly what would happen.

Balder seemed satisfied that Adam understood and let the boy go. Adam stayed with his back against the wall, his dark eyes downcast, both too ashamed to look up because of the tears there, and too angry to look at him without wanting to punch him.

"Sorry," Balder said, quietly, only beginning to realize how much he'd truly frightened the younger boy. The apology did help Adam calm down, but only slightly. He kept looking at his feet, his feelings bouncing between being hurt and being incredibly angry.

"But you were really close to getting caught," Balder explained. That comment brought Adam back to reality, reminding him of his situation. He looked up hesitantly, listening, but not ready to forgive the older boy quite yet.

"Any Witch who knows enough about medicine is going to recognize Hunter's Sickness," Balder explained more calmly. His tone was quiet and rather apologetic for being so rash. "The Witch in charge here definitely does. She'll know what you are right away; you need to stay as far away from her as possible."

That sent a bolt of panic through Adam.

"But most of us eat at that Great Hall place, don't we? What is she just gets breakfast or something, and I don't notice?" Adam was beginning to breathe too quickly again.

"She'd need to get close to tell the difference. Hunter's Sickness makes the whites of your eyes look sort of blue. If you aren't looking for it, you wouldn't even notice it. But Pomfrey's smart enough to catch it," he explained to the younger boy.

"Can't I just hide it? Wear like...sunglasses or something?" Adam tried desperately.

"No sunglasses allowed. Uniforms, you know?" Balder said, obviously having thought of that option before. "But the tint goes away, the less Hunter's Sickness you have. Look at my eyes - nothing, right? Perfectly white. Yours should be like this in a few days, too. Actually, it shouldn't be as bad as it is right now..." He muttered, squinting as he tried to get a better look at Adam's face. The closet was dark, so it was pointless.

Instead, Balder pulled a wand out of his robes and said, very firmly, "_Lumos_," with a tone that made Adam frightened again. There was a slight pause, but a beam of light came out of the tip of the wand, and he pointed it at Adam's face. Adam squinted, trying to get away from it, but Balder grabbed his face to make sure he got a solid look.

"How much serum did you drink this morning?" He asked, quite frustrated that he couldn't figure out why the younger boy was doing so poorly.

"Oh," Adam said quietly, before fishing the vial out of his pocket. "Uh, no, actually. I forgot," he admitted, rather guiltily.

Balder's eyes grew wide in disbelief, but he shut them quickly to take a second to calm down. Once he was calm, he said, "You need to drink some _every_ day. Sometimes more than once, if you're feeling sick. You can't forget it, yet. You need to get way better at taming magic before you can risk going without any blood."

"Yeah, sorry," Adam agreed. Balder had made such a big point of that the night before, but he'd completely dismissed it. With a sigh, Adam popped the vile open, frowning at the metallic smell, and with a reluctant groan, lifted it up to his lips to take a quick sip.

It was only then that what Balder had said truly hit him, and Adam ended up choking, sputtering, and sending the contents of the vial all over his front as he barely managed to gasp out, "Did you say BLOOD!?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Adam Wolfsbane and the Sorcerer's Secret  
>Part 5: A Letter Where!? <strong>

Balder gritted his teeth in annoyance. Not only was the front of his robes splattered with blood, but Adam had also wasted an entire vial of it, all in one motion. It was an incredible pain to get more, and now, he was going to have to.

But, he'd scared the boy enough. This was new to him, he had to be patient with him, Balder knew that. They needed as many viable Hunters as possible.

"Yeah. Blood," Balder said, trying to speak slowly, both to make sure that Adam understood and so that he didn't say anything he didn't mean. "Wizard blood."

Adam's eyes widened in horror, and he doubled over, gagging violently. Blood. He drank _blood_. _People_ blood. He tried his best to cough it up, but Balder pulled him up roughly to make him stop.

"_Don't_ throw it up, that's a waste!" He told him, but all Adam could do was stare at him in disbelief as he continued to cough and spit and sputter to try and get as much out of his mouth and throat as possible.

"You _need_ it," Balder repeated, quickly losing the patience he'd tried so hard to hone in on. "We're Hunters - this is what we do. We absorb small amounts of magic from the environment and can use some of it as a result. Drinking the blood of a magical creature is the _fastest_ way to gain its abilities. We can do this with Vampires, with Werewolves, with anything. But, we're in a Wizard school - so we need to be as much like Wizards as possible. It's _natural_ for us. Don't fight it."

"Natural? Drinking blood is _natural_?!" Adam spat out.

"For us? Yeah," Balder repeated. "Magic literally comes from the blood. Most of these things are born with their magic, and the ones that aren't, like Vampires or Werewolves, need to be bitten, infected, in order to change. So, we drink the blood to get more direct access to the magic. It doesn't matter from what. Wizard blood makes us more like Wizards. Werewolf blood makes up more like Werewolves. Giant blood makes us more like Giants. We're magical chameleons - we absorb what we can so that we can stand a chance and _fight_ for our kind."

"It's. Drinking. Blood," Adam simply said again.

"You do what you need to survive," Balder said, his patience growing ever-thinner. "You're in a school FULL of Wizards. They have magic, they can use it to destroy normal people in any way they want. What is worse - drinking a little blood that no one was hurt to get, or being found out and being killed?"

Adam took a few slow breaths. He was trying hard to consider that, but his stomach was jumping and twisting. At the same time, even the tiny sip he took, the bit that he hadn't managed to spit up, was already making the other parts of his sickness a lot better. He didn't want to admit that, he didn't want to feel that, but he couldn't deny the truth.

"I can't do this..." Adam finally groaned, feeling so defeated.

"You _have_ to," Balder told him. "You're here now. The headmistress knows about you. Your dorm mates know about you. And there's no easy way to run away from here, especially not without magic. It's hard, I know. But you're trapped. You can't let anyone find out - you can't let anyone out there know what's really going on, or it could not just meant _your_ death, but the deaths of a lot of others here. If they find out there's one Hunter, they'll look for the rest of us."

"The rest...?" Adam took a small breath, his confusion helping take his mind off the taste in his mouth.

"Yeah. You think we're the only ones?" Balder couldn't help smirking slightly when he saw how surprised Adam got. "Come on. How would any of this work if we didn't have a system going on? This has been going on for five years now. There's dozens of us. We watch out for our kind," he reassured Adam, giving him a small pat on his back. "It'll be okay. You just need to trust us, and everything's going to go great."

Adam took another long breath, considering what Balder said. Not being alone with Balder did help ease a little bit of his tension. The idea that others were also struggling, that others also went through this - though he'd have felt better if he actually had a chance to meet them.

"I'll try," was all Adam could truly promise. He couldn't offer much more than that, especially not after tasting that blood. A second later, to his horror, he realized his tongue was subconsciously licking his lips and cheek, trying to swallow more, and he quickly bit down on his tongue to force it to stop.

"Good. You'll get better. This stuff'll seem normal soon enough," Balder promised. "Now, what did the Headmistress want? Standing out your first day isn't the best idea, you know..."

"She just wanted to talk about my clothes. Since I didn't have robes yesterday," Adam muttered. "She bought the story, that people threw my trunk away, and told me not to let myself be bullied. She said she'd help he get some clothes, that I could borrow books, and she'd write a letter home."

"She'd what?" Balder had been nodding his head, until the very last part of that Adam had said.

"Write a letter home," he said again.

"Oh, wow. Your family knows about this? That's a lot more open-minded than mine," Balder felt very impressed, until he saw Adam's eyes start to widen in panic.

"Oh. Oh no. Oh, no, no, no. Oh, they have no idea where I am. Oh, god. Oh, god, they don't know, and they're going to get some wizard letter. Oh, god, what do I do?" Adam started to breathe quicker, as Balder furrowed his brows.

"What do you mean they don't know where you are? You have a cover story, right?"

"No!" Adam ended up shouting. Balder quickly put his hand over Adam's mouth, reminding the younger boy to be quiet, and he started to whisper loudly again, instead, "I didn't know I'd end up here! I just sort of did! My mum's a writer, she's traveling all over Asia right now, I'm staying with my aunts and my grandma! I told them I'd spend the night at a friend's but they have no idea I'm HERE."

"Ohh...Wolfsbane..." Balder couldn't help shaking his head in such disappointment.

"I never said I thought this out, okay!?" Adam barely managed to hiss through gritted teeth. "What do I do!? If they get a letter about sending me stuff at a WIZARD SCHOOL, I'm going to be completely caught! The wizards can find out my family doesn't know, can't they? It's magical letters, isn't it!?"

"Calm down," Balder lifted his hands to try and show the kid to ease up. "It's just letters. They come with owls, but they're normal letters. There's got to be ways to stop it from getting to your family. I'll talk to some of the other Hunters - we'll figure it out," Balder promised.

"What if we can't?" Adam asked weakly.

"We will," Balder just repeated. "You need to have a better attitude, Wolfsbane. We do what we can because we know we can and we have to. Stop doubting yourself - we'll be fine. All of us."

Adam looked up at him. He wanted to believe the older boy so much, but there was a horrible sinking feeling in his chest. It was going to end terribly - he just knew it. He could feel it to his very core.

"For now - you _need_ to fit in," Balder told him, ruffling through his robes to pull out his own red vial. It was about half-empty. "Here, take mine for now," he said, handing the vial to Adam. "I can get more, and I don't need so much right now. Take a sip. It's gross, I know, but get over it, okay? You _need_ this stuff. You don't have time to question it."

The sinking feeling got worse in Adam, but he did reluctantly accept that vial. He took a few deep breaths, trying his best not to heave, and opened the top. That metallic smell filled his nose again, which he now knew for sure was blood, and he had to take another few very large breaths. It took him several attempts, first trying to bring it to his lips but then missing at the last moment, but he finally did get his lips on it and took a tiny sip, leaning his head far back to force it to go down his throat, even though his throat muscles were refusing to let it in. He capped the vial instantly, and covered his mouth with his sleeve to keep himself from spitting it back out.

"Good," Balder told him, before reaching into his robes and pulling out a wand. It looked slightly singed, as though someone had constantly been trying to burn pieces of it off. Balder pointed the wand at his own robes, and very firmly, told it, "_Tergio_," and suddenly, all the blood stains all over him seemed to vanish into thin air. Balder smirked, pointing the wand to Adam next, repeating, "_Tergio_," and this time, Adam's robes were the ones cleaned of the blood.

"A lot of people complain that cleaning charms are stupid, but they're full of it," Balder said proudly, pocketing his wand. "Now, you need to get to your classes. I need to get back to mine, too. Just play it calm - we'll figure it out, okay?"

"I don't know where Charms is..." Adam admitted, as Balder opened the door to leave.

"Down the hall, then to the right. It's the room with the short guy in it, you won't miss it," Balder told him, patting Adam on the back, and using the same motion to push him in the direction he'd told him to go.

Adam stumbled a bit, looking back at Balder at first, but the older boy was already walking off. With a small sigh, Adam turned and did the same, walking off towards Charms, never seeing the incredibly panicked and terrified expression creep its way across Balder's face.

It wasn't long before Adam found the room. Balder had been right; the professor was extremely short, so it wasn't difficult to find the class at all. He spent some time awkwardly building up the courage to step in, and when he did, quickly apologized for interrupting the class. Professor Flitwick told him it was fine, and that he'd already gotten word of the headmistress, but urged Adam to quickly find a partner. It was no problem, because Edwin was sitting partner-less and had been waving his arms frantically from the moment Adam had stepped into the room.

Adam sat down next to Edwin, who quickly started whispering to Adam about what he'd missed, which was mostly a speech about the applications of charms. All Adam did was nod his head blankly, pretending he was listening to Edwin's whispers, but he couldn't focus.

His mind was on that letter. How could they stop a letter? From the Headmistress? They couldn't just go up to her and ask her not to send it. They couldn't possibly try and get in her way; she was in charge of a magical school! Adam was still only getting small taste of magic, he couldn't even start to fathom what a witch of that rank was capable of. He'd said letters went through owl, right? Like the letter he'd gotten? Maybe they could stop the owl.

Adam got a mental image of shooting the owl down with an arrow, and at first, he liked the idea of knocking a stupid bird out of the sky, but then frowned, realizing what a terrible thought it was. No matter how much he hated birds, it was a living thing. No way he could hurt it. But maybe they could catch it? Lure it out with food or something? Edwin had been fine with it, maybe he knew more about owls...

"Adam," Edwin repeated, snapping Adam out of his thoughts. He was standing, and as Adam looked around the room, he realized everyone else was standing, too. Adam fumbled up to his feet, and then realized everyone was also holding their wand. He swallowed nervously, and pulled his wand out of his pocket. As soon as his fingers touched it, he did feel a wave of sickness, but nothing like it had been the night before. He breathed through his nose, letting it pass through him, and started to copy Flitwick as the professor began to show them the various motions common to Charms. Swish and flick. Wave and point. Point and tap. Small circles. Dozens of little motions, and the professor went around, pointing out students who were doing well, as well as trying to correct students who had poor form.

Adam looked around, and was actually quite relieved. No one in the room looked very much better than him. In fact, some looked even more lost than he was. And despite himself, an entire class period of mimicking fun little orchestra-looking movements helped take his mind off of what he'd been worried about. By the end of the class, Adam, like everyone else, let out a groan at the mention that the Professor wanted a two-page assignment on his desk by their next session, about the types of charms the various motions they learned that day were involved with and why.

"Man," just as Adam started grumbling, ready to follow everyone else out of the classroom, when someone caught his shoulder and jostled him.

"Well? What happened?" Kesar demanded.

"Nothing," Adam shook his head quickly. "I just didn't have my robes - that was it," he reassured him. Not entirely the truth, but he figured he wasn't asking about his conversation with Balder, anyway.

"Oh, thank goodness," Edwin sighed in relief, genuinely looking as though he'd been holding his breath for Adam. "We were getting worried when you took so long! And you looked so pale when you got back..."

"I'm just not feeling well. I didn't really eat much, that's probably it," Adam said dismissively. _Just blood_, he couldn't help thinking bitterly to himself.

"Cool," Kesar nodded, walking ahead and letting Edwin and Adam follow him. "See? Told you it was nothing. Now, onto more important stuff - who was that Gryffindor at breakfast?"

Adam felt his face grow hot and had to clear his throat because of the sudden dry feeling. "Isabelle's a friend. She's been my neighbor since my mum and I moved to London," he explained, making sure to use a tone of finality to hint to the two boys that he wouldn't be humoring any more questions on the subject.

"Just you and your mum?" Edwin asked quietly. Something in that statement clearly made the bespectacled boy quite sad.

"Yeah," Adam admitted with a slightly quieter tone. It wasn't something he felt particularly ready to talk about yet, despite it having been his life for many years now. He didn't mind people asking, but he never liked talking about it. It always brought him back to the days it had been happening and caused a tightness in his chest. "My mum and dad didn't get along great. Dad was always staying out to work late, sometimes he'd be gone for a week without bothering to warn mum, and my mum couldn't handle it anymore, so they divorced. Dad was too busy to really take care of me, and Mum needed help, so we moved in with my grandma and her sisters in London. I haven't even seen my dad since we moved," admitting that last part always stung a bit. Sure, they spoke on the phone several times a year, but even that was only during major holidays. Phone calls that, during most of which, Adam's father always promised to visit - and then never did, saying he was busy at work. Adam had recently stopped letting himself get excited at the false promises. He couldn't even remember what his father looked like anymore; it was just sort of a blur. Tanned skin, scruffy brown hair and beard. Blue eyes? Green eyes? Or were they gray? Adam's were hazel, like his mother's, so he couldn't remember. Adam got most of his physical traits from his mother, so it was difficult to see any of his father, even in himself. And there wasn't more than maybe a handful of photos of his father at home, most of which were hidden because seeing them tended to make his mother's eyes watery.

"I'm so sorry," Edwin said, honestly sounding heartbroken for him. "I can't imagine what that's like. My family's so close..."

"They're not jealous of you?" Kesar asked, sounding rather surprised. Adam furrowed his brows, looking over Edwin again for a moment. He didn't want to be mean, but the kid was scrawny, dorky, and overall, the type of kid he'd expect to find shoved in a toilet somewhere. He couldn't imagine what his family could be jealous of.

But, Edwin seemed to know, because his cheeks turned rather red and he gave a guilty smile. "Oh, no. I was scared, too, since it seemed so unfair. But they're so happy for me; all my sisters have been saving up to try and get me a broom next year! And my mum and dad were so proud, they were almost in tears..."

"What? Did you get in with honors, or...?" Adam couldn't imagine it being anything else. It had to be something to do with intellect, right?

"Oh!" Edwin said in surprise, remembering that Adam hadn't known him as long as Kesar did. "Oh, no, no, you see, my family is a bit...non-traditional. My parents were actually born without magic."

"Oh. Like mine, right?" Adam's eyes widened a bit. Why hadn't Edwin mentioned that sooner?

"No, he means his parents are Squibs," Kesar explained, which made Edwin give him a surprisingly dirty look. Kesar looked guilty, before adding, "Sorry, it's just the word everyone uses, you know..."

"I don't know what that means," Adam admitted.

"It's a rather...insensitive term for people who didn't gain the magical abilities of their parents," Edwin explained, quickly trying to calm himself down after Kesar's comment. "My grandparents are witches and wizards on both sides. But when my father was born, he never had an ounce of magic - and the same for my mother. So, they grew up in magical families with magical siblings, but without any themselves. It's a very isolating life," Edwin sighed, clearly feeling terrible for his parents.

"We still live in a magical community with my grandparents, but we use a lot of Muggle items to make up for it, and had to go to Muggle school. I have four sisters, and they were all born without magic as well. I never noticed I was giving off any signs of magic; I always thought it was just residual things around town. But, I got that owl, and when we went to Ollivander's, I found a wand that was just right for me," Edwin's eyes were shining with happiness at the memory, but there was still a guilt on his face. It was clear he didn't think it fair that he lucked out in the family while his other siblings and parents didn't, but it was also clear he didn't experience any sort of poor treatment as a result. Just looking at his face, Adam knew they were as supportive as Edwin claimed them to be.

"It's why I can't wait until we're old enough to go to Hogsmeade - I'm going to buy my sisters everything I can get my hands on!" He said with such excitement. Adam couldn't help smiling as well; it was contagious.

"You really sound like you guys get along. I don't see a lot of little brothers and big sisters getting along together," he admitted. Adam had to go by what he saw in school; he was an only child.

"Yeah, they're weird-close," Kesar agreed, causing Edwin to frown at him again, but this time, Kesar didn't look as guilty. "Sorry, but it's true. My sisters want to kill me if I just step into their room. You guys hug every time you see each other. It's weird. Not bad or anything. But it's weird."

"Maybe everyone else is the weird ones," Edwin sniffed with indignance. Adam did his best not to laugh. Seeing someone who looked and acted like Edwin so proud was both funny and incredibly refreshing at the same time.

"Maybe," Kesar laughed. "So, where do we go, next?"

"Potions," Edwin replied brightly, happy to get back to school-work. "We have it in the Dungeons, with the Ravenclaws."

"Augh. That little fangirl was a Ravenclaw, wasn't she?" Kesar made a face, and Adam couldn't help feeling uncomfortable as well. That was what she'd winked at him about, wasn't it? Potions. Whatever that was.

"Don't be mean. It's a good series, and Adam _did_ stand out yesterday. You can't blame her for noticing," Edwin argued.

"I don't blame her for noticing, I blame her for being in love with that terrible series. No one with a brain in their head would ever like that gross romancy stuff," Kesar shuddered.

"I happen to think it's a great piece of writing," Edwin sniffed, once again quite indignant. "It's novel, it's clever, the magic it uses is entirely accurate, the cases are based on true events, and the characters are very likeable. You just don't like it because so many girls like it, and that's a terrible reason not to like something."

"No, I hate it because so many _stupid_ birds seem to like it. If that's the type of junk girls like _that_ are into, no thanks," Kesar shook his head, as Adam followed the two arguing boys down into the Dungeons.


End file.
